The present invention generally relates to a form for mailing an article requiring special services. More specifically, the present invention relates to an integral special service mailing assembly for mailing an article requiring special services having a return receipt postcard and a label indicative of the special service and a method for using same.
It is, of course, generally known to mail an article requiring special services for delivery of the article, such as certified mail, registered mail, insured mail, COD, return receipt for merchandise and the like. Known components and methods for assembling a mailer for mailing an article requiring special services have multiple, separate components requiring attachment to an exterior of an envelope for the special services delivery of the article.
For example, when a customer of the U.S. Postal Service desires that an article be mailed by certified mail, for instance, an envelope containing the article is provided to the postal employee by the customer. The postal employee is then required to attach or otherwise provide the envelope with a permanent seal or label indicating that the envelope is to be delivered by certified mail.
Then, a return receipt postcard must be attached to the envelope. The postcard must be completed by the postal employee and/or the customer mailing the envelope containing the article. Some postcards include areas having an adhesive for attaching the postcard to the envelope. Other postcards require separate attachment, by using tape, for example.
Such a procedure is both complex and time-consuming, as well as labor intensive. The procedure requires the postal employee to ensure that all of the appropriate labels and documents are affixed to the envelope prior to delivery of the article. Therefore, the appropriate forms, labels and the like must be adequately stocked and available for the postal employee's use. Further, the postal employee must ensure that all articles are appropriately affixed to the envelope. In addition, the return receipt postcard must be suitably affixed to the envelope so that the return postcard is not removed during the mailing of the article to its destination. Of course, it should be understood that an envelope prepared for special service mailing may be prepared by any individual, not just a postal employee.
Further, preparation of a special services mailer requires printing of indicia on the mailer using a plurality of colors, such as black and the color associated with the special service. Therefore, the printing of the mailers is typically complex in that a mailer must be fed multiple times through a plurality of printers, one for each color, or a single printer with multiple color cartridges, ribbons or the like, so that multiple colors may be printed thereupon. This method of printing is both time-consuming and wasteful of resources and may require a printer having multiple color printing capabilities.
In addition, most mailers are not provided with tracking means so that the printing thereupon may be effected by a plurality of different printing mechanisms. For example, information may be printed using a dot matrix printer, or a thermal printer, or the like, that requires tracking holes located on the outer edges of the mailer. Further, thermal printing requires the use of a thermal printing hole located on the mailer to engage the thermal printer and to aid in the printing of the mailer by the printer.
A need, therefore, exists for an improved integral special service mailing assembly requiring special services, such as certified mail, insured mail, registered mail, COD, return receipt for merchandise and the like, and a method for using same.